Twice in a Lifetime
by QuickStrike15
Summary: Megatron plans to revive the Key to Vector Sigma, and only the Maximals can stop him. But how? First in the "Twice in a Lifetime" series.


"TWICE IN A LIFETIME"  
  
WRITTEN BY  
QUICKSTRIKE15  
(TIEANBRICE@AOL.COM)  
  
Author's Note: This Beast Machines series takes place right after the Sparkwar series, where Obsidian and Stryka are inducted into the Vehicons, but with one difference, Megatron continues on in his data form, and does not have his spark free searching for a host. Now, onto the story!  
  
The Maximals regroup after their last fight with the Vehicons.  
OPTIMUS: "I can't believe what's happened! How could Megatron get his claws on all of those innocent sparks?! I've let them all down. I've let Cybertron down." He hangs his head in Beast mode.  
CHEETOR: "Hey, take it easy there, Big Bot." Cheetor walks over in robot mode. "We've all had a lot to deal with lately, with Megatron not having the idea of letting up on us, so we're all a little tired."  
OPTIMUS: "Are their sparks tired, Cheetor? Are the sparks that Megatron callously cast out of their shells tired?!" He barks.  
RATTRAP: "Hey-hey-hey here!" Rattrap rolls over to the transformers in robot mode, and puts his hands between them. "Power down, Bossmonkey. Right now, our level heads are the only thing that's gonna save us and Cybertron."  
BLACKARACHNIA: "Rattrap's right." Blackarachnia chimes in in robot mode. "Megatron is counting on us to bicker amongst ourselves, feeling sorry for what Cybertron's had to go through, but let's keep in mind that we didn't do this! Megatron did, and he's gonna pay for it, when Cybertron is restored to its organic glory."  
SILVERBOLT: "Powerful words from a powerful woman." He stands behind her in robot mode. She turns around.  
BLACKARACHNIA: "Thanks."  
OPTIMUS: "You're right. I've been blaming myself for far too long, and that's why Megatron's continued to get the best of me time and time again. Cybertron is suffering because of him, and it will stop now!" He stands. "Maximals, I'm leaving. I have to figure out what it's going to take in order to save our dying planet. And the only thing in the world I can turn to for that is the Oracle."  
CHEETOR: "Are you sure that's the best idea, Big Bot? I mean, the Oracle's--"  
OPTIMUS: "I can handle it, Cheetor. I have to handle it. It's our only chance to save the future." He slowly walks off.  
BOTANICA: "Optimus!" He turns around.  
OPTIMUS: "Yes?"  
BOTANICA: "Have a safe journey."  
OPTIMUS: "Thank you." He leaves.  
NIGHTSCREAM: "So, what are we gonna be doing while he's out downloading the mysteries of the Universe?"  
CHEETOR: "We stay put, and guard the cherished relics of a world long passed away." He stares at the orchard.  
  
***  
  
Megatron's face grafts from the data stream inside his floating fortress. Obsidian, Stryka, and Thrust look on.  
MEGATRON: "What do you three have to say for yourselves?!"  
OBSIDIAN: "We are terribly sorry, Lord Megatron."  
MEGATRON: "That you are."  
OBSIDIAN: "We were unable to eliminate the Maximals in our last mission, but I can assure you that--"  
MEGATRON: "There is nothing you can assure me! You've failed! Time after time, Vehicon after Vehicon, Predacon after Predacon after Predacon, the Maximals have beaten me, ruined my plans, ceased my ascension into godhood. But no longer! For I know that there is one thing in the Universe they didn't stand a chance of defeating, if it weren't for a meddlesome wolf in the fold, and that, is the Key to Vector Sigma!"  
THRUST: "The Key to Vector Sigma?! You've gotta be kidding me! That thing nearly brought the planet down on our heads!"  
MEGATRON: "That was not the key's fault, no. It was the fault of one meddlesome Maximal, Optimus Primal, and his control over the Plasma Energy Chamber, which if not the Oracle itself, would have eradicated all of Cybertron! Yes, it was he who halted my mighty fist clenching over this world! He, and that troublesome Vehicon Tankorr! I knew it was wrong to use chaotic sparks in my plans for world domination. yes."  
OBSIDIAN: "But really sir, if you hadn't, you wouldn't have the most loyal and faithful soldiers you could ever find by your side." He and Stryka bow down on one knee.  
MEGATRON: "Yes, I suppose that everyone can make a mistake that's worth gold once in their lives. And I must keep in mind that it was a Maximal's spark after all, and so far, I've had no luck controlling them, at least those who I fought against in the Beast Wars. But now, a new era will arise, and the Universe shall finally realize who its true ruler is meant to be! When I, Megatron, reach into the very Matrix itself, and claim what is rightfully mine! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The Vehicons look at each other in utter confusion.  
THRUST: "You're gonna enter the Matrix? But that's impossible!"  
MEGATRON: "Perhaps, to a simple mind such as yours. But I have power now, I hold the sparks of Cybertron in my hand, and with their energy, I can enter the gates of the world beyond. I can find the secret hideaway of the power they fear me having, and the Key to Vector Sigma shall be mine to command once again!"  
OBSIDIAN: "Pure poetry, sir. How may I be of service to you?"  
MEGATRON: "Ah, all in good time, my loyal servant. You all shall play a vital role in the final battle of Cybertron!"  
  
***  
  
Optimus arrives at the Oracle's lair, and sits in front of it. He goes into a meditating position, and closes his eyes.  
OPTIMUS: "Oracle, it is I, Optimus Primal, here once again to ask for your guidance. I don't know what it is I can do to stop Megatron and save Cybertron, I need your divine assistance. Please." He focuses, and leaves his body. He starts tumbling through an outer space of sorts, filled with images of past and present. "Where are you taking me?" He finally comes upon a strange black window, and stares into it. The black window clears, in order to reveal Megatron and his Vehicon generals, inside the floating fortress. "Megatron!"  
MEGATRON: "My plan to gain access to the Matrix is pure genius, if I do say so myself, yes."  
OPTIMUS: "Gain access to the Matrix?!"  
MEGATRON: "Since I have control over all of the sparks on Cybertron, it would be mere child's play to torture one into surrender, and have it ascend into the Matrix. Once the celestial gate opens, I shall reach a vengeful claw into the final resting ground of Cybertronians, and search for the Key to Vector Sigma. With my ultimate control over data processing, it should take no more than cycles to claim the relic. And once that is done, Cybertron will become a pure, technological haven unto me!"  
OPTIMUS: "No, this is wrong! Megatron can't do this, I won't let him! I stopped him once, and by the Matrix, I'll stop him again!" He falls, and awakens from his trance. He slowly reorients himself. "Got...to warn the others." He takes off back to the orchard.  
  
***  
  
The other Maximals wait patiently back at the orchard. All is silent.  
NIGHTSCREAM: "Uh, so you guys have a lot of faith in Optimus, don't you?" He breaks the silence.  
CHEETOR: "Big Bot's always had the right idea. He never lead us wrong during the Beast Wars, and he won't lead us wrong now."  
RATTRAP: "Yeah, Fearless Leader knows what he's doing."  
SILVERBOLT: "But Megatron is a new breed of villain now. He's achieved all the power we wanted to make sure he didn't back on ancient Earth! And with it, he could crush us all."   
BLACKARACHNIA: "For Primus' sake, would you can it on the doom and gloom speech? You've been like this ever since I--we brought you back to life. You didn't fail, Silverbolt. Your mind wasn't your own, so it wasn't you who did all of those horrible things as Jetstorm, it was Megatron playing with your head. You have the power, with all of us, to stop Megatron now. Don't stop believing in yourself, or that monster really did beat you."  
SILVERBOLT: "How is it you're always right?"  
BLACKARACHNIA: "I had a good teacher."  
NIGHTSCREAM: "Enough with the mush already. What are we gonna do about Megatron? He could be planning something right now that's about to wipe us Maximals off the face of the planet, and we're here kicking back, waiting for the boss. We need a plan!"  
OPTIMUS: "And I've got one." Optimus steps out of the shadows.  
NIGHTSCREAM: "Optimus, you're back."  
BOTANICA: "How did things go with the Oracle?"  
OPTIMUS: "It showed me what's to come. Megatron has a plan to access the Matrix, and resurrect the Key to Vector Sigma."  
CHEETOR: "The key? That thing nearly wiped all us technorganic beings out of existence!"  
RATTRAP: "Oh, man, this is not good!"  
BOTANICA: "How could Megatron possibly reach into the afterlife?"  
OPTIMUS: "With his form currently made up of pure data, anything's possible. All I know is he has a plan, and with Megatron, that's the most dangerous weapon ever known. Let's move!" All of the Maximals return to Beast mode, and head for Megatron's floating fortress.  
  
***  
  
Megatron and his Vehicon generals prepare everything for his mission.  
OBSIDIAN: "All systems are almost fully up and running, sir."  
MEGATRON: "Excellent. Soon, soon I will have all the power I desire."  
STRYKA: "All helicopter and truck drones are on full alert for any Maximal interference as well."  
THRUST: "And so are the cycle drones."  
MEGATRON: "Good. If Optimus and his band of merry do-gooders even gets close to the fortress I'll smelt all of you!"  
OBSIDIAN: "Understood, lord. We will do all possible."  
  
***  
  
The Maximals reach the floating fortress sector. They notice all of the drones on alert.  
CHEETOR: "How are we gonna get by all of those things? We can't possibly force a fight here. Megatron'll abort his plan, and have us all vaped."  
OPTIMUS: "There is another way. Blackarachnia, I'll need you to reel in the closest ones with your webbing. When you catch them, take them out."  
BLACKARACHNIA: "Can do." She sets her position.  
OPTIMUS: "Nightscream, use your fangs to drain the drones' Energon."  
NIGHTSCREAM: "Got it." He flaps over to his strategic location.  
OPTIMUS: "And Rattrap, when there are enough out of the picture, you scramble up and de-activate the whole lot through their neural network."  
RATTRAP: "Thought you'd never ask."  
OPTIMUS: "Cheetor, Silverbolt, Botanica, you're with me. Let's do it."  
BLACKARACHNIA: "Gotcha. I am transformed." She transforms, and snags a cycle drone with a drag line. She pulls it in, and shorts it out with her stinger legs. "One down, about a million more to go."  
NIGHTSCREAM: "This should be no sweat. I am transformed." He transforms, and shoots his fangs out of his mouth, into a truck drone's Energon tank. Quickly, he's able to shut it down. "Mmm, tasty! This should be fun!" Slowly, about 50% of the drones are taken out.  
OPTIMUS: "Okay, Rattrap, now's your chance."  
RATTRAP: "Here goes nothin'. I am transformed!" He transforms, and quickly rolls behind a truck drone. He hops onto it, and gets to its CPU. "Okay, baby, time for nappy-bye." He accesses its neural core, and de-activates it. It's soon followed by the remaining truck drones. "Yes!" A cycle drone notices something's amiss. It transforms to robot mode.  
CHEETOR: "No, you don't!" He tackles it, and Rattrap quickly and skillfully de-activates it and the other cycle drones.  
SILVERBOLT: "Another present for you!" Silverbolt grabs a helicopter drone with his claws, and tosses it to the ground, where Rattrap does one more hacking job, shutting down all helicopter drones. The other Maximals come into the open.  
OPTIMUS: "Excellent job, team. Now for Megatron. I am transformed!" He transforms, and activates his jet pack. He flies up to the floating fortress. Silverbolt follows, with Blackarachnia riding on his back. Nightscream transforms to Beast mode, and carries Rattrap in his claws.  
CHEETOR: "I am transformed!" He transforms, and accesses his twin swords. He links them together, and starts spinning his hand at super high speed, forming a propeller of sorts. He grabs Botanica by the waist, and carries her up to the fortress.  
  
***  
  
Megatron begins his plan.  
MEGATRON: "All is ready, and the Matrix will be mine!" He has a spark removed from the chamber. It floats toward the data stream, and as his grafted face stares into it, the spark is slowly drained of its life. It turns a horrible shade of purple, as darkness sends quills of pain into it. "Yes, feel the pain! Let it consume you, and cry out for the Matrix' help!" The spark is squeezed and knotted, twisted and stretched, until finally, it gives up. It regains its blue color, and begins to ascend. "That's it! Download backup data tracks into file, encrypt code!" The spark is laced with data from Megatron's system. "Fly true, spark, and lead me back to you home!" A portal opens, and the spark enters. "Open file, upload data tracks now!" The data opens, and Megatron is inside. "Yes, I've done it! I can see the Matrix!"  
OBSIDIAN: "Incredible!"  
STRYKA: "Unbelievable!"  
THRUST: "Bogus."  
OPTIMUS: "Megatron!"  
MEGATRON: "No, not Primal! Not now!" The Maximals rush in, all in robot mode, with weapons drawn.  
OPTIMUS: "This time, you've gone too far!"  
MEGATRON: "It's too late, Optimus. I've already won! I have entered the Matrix! You cannot stop me now!"  
OPTIMUS: "No!" He lowers his head. "Oracle, I beg for your help in this time of need." His eyes turn orange, and he's able to shoot an orange beam from his chest into Megatron's data flow.  
MEGATRON: "What are you doing?!"  
OPTIMUS: "Joining you!" Optimus and Megatron are together inside the Matrix, Megatron inside his old technological body.  
MEGATRON: "Leave here, Primal! This is none of your business!"  
OPTIMUS: "The pit it isn't, Megatron!" He leaps toward him, and tackles him. "You're not getting the key!"  
MEGATRON: "How did you know that?"  
OPTIMUS: "A little celestial birdie told me!"  
MEGATRON: "That blasted Oracle! Will it never stop haunting me?!" He forces Optimus off of him.  
OPTIMUS: "Really, Megatron. The Matrix? What are you thinking?"  
MEGATRON: "I am thinking that the Universe, is, was, and always will exist for me to rule! And that includes all places existing outside the Universe as well!"  
OPTIMUS: "I won't let you succeed!"  
MEGATRON: "Then you'll just have to die!" Megatron fires a lightning bolt from his right hand. Optimus nimbly dodges it.  
  
***  
  
The other Maximals struggle with the Vehicons inside the floating fortress. The spark chamber begins to malfunction.  
COMPUTER: "Spark chamber overloading. Extreme stress on systems. Explosion imminent."  
CHEETOR: "Oh, no!"  
NIGHTSCREAM: "This place is gonna blow!"  
RATTRAP: "Not if I can help it!" Rattrap zooms over to the spark chamber, and uses his tail to hack into the mainframe. Soon after, he is shocked, and falls backward. Cheetor catches him.  
CHEETOR: "You all right?"  
RATTRAP: "Yeah, I'll be fine. But that's only if we can get out of here in under five cycles!"  
CHEETOR: "Five cycles? But Big Bot! We can't move him in this condition, or he's a goner!"  
RATTRAP: "He'll be a goner anyway!"  
  
***  
  
Optimus and Megatron continue to grapple inside the Matrix.  
MEGATRON: "For a very long time, Primal, you were a simple nuisance to me. Now you're nothing more than a viral strain!"  
OPTIMUS: "Takes one to know one, Megatron!" Optimus pins him.  
MEGATRON: "No more, Maximal!" He headbutts Optimus. Optimus grabs his face, and Megatron blasts him with a lightning bolt. Optimus gets shocked, and falls to the floor. "Now, for the key!"  
OPTIMUS: "No...you can't!" Megatron searches, and quickly locates his prize.  
MEGATRON: "There it is, hidden from all for so long, but I have re-claimed my destiny!" He reaches through folds of neon clouds, which reveal the Key to Vector Sigma. "Yes! Yes!"  
OPTIMUS: "Can't...move! But I have to. I have to stop Megatron!"  
MEGATRON: "Give up! You can't possibly defeat me now. I have everything, and you continue to grasp desperately onto nothing. I have won!" Suddenly, four sparks surround Megatron, and begin to spin. "What is this?" Optimus stares in wonder. "Get away from me! You fear my power, don't you? Well, you'll be the first sparks I clamp under my will!" The sparks spin faster and faster, until they form an energy ring, from which Megatron cannot escape. "No! You can't possibly--" He tries to free himself, but gets shocked. "What?" He tries a few more times, but fails each time, getting more and more of a sufficient jolt. "This is impossible! You won't stop me!" He grabs the ring with his free claw, and is consumed with energy. After a few seconds, the sparks cease the spin, and Megatron falls, dropping the key. It falls through the floor. "No! The key!" Megatron turns to Optimus. "How? How did you do this?!"  
OPTIMUS: "I didn't do a thing, Megatron. Maybe the Universe actually said 'no' to your inauguration as its ruler."  
MEGATRON: "Aaahh!!" He lunges toward Optimus with all of his remaining energy, but Optimus proves stronger, and forces them both through the gate he used to get inside. The four brave sparks follow.  
  
***  
  
COMPUTER: "One cycle until chamber termination."  
CHEETOR: "Come on, Big Bot!"  
BLACKARACHNIA: "You can do it, Optimus!"  
OBSIDIAN: "Well, the Maximals can do as they please, but I am not dying when there is nothing I can do for my master now! Let's go, Stryka!"  
STRYKA: "As you command."  
THRUST: "I'm with you guys!" They transform to vehicle mode, and flee the base.  
BOTANICA: "We can't stay here! Optimus would want us to go!"  
CHEETOR: "We're not leaving him!"  
BLACKARACHNIA: "Cheetor, we have to! We can't die yet! We still have to fight the good fight!" Cheetor looks down. He then looks back at his teammates.  
CHEETOR: "Let's move!" They prepare to leave, when Optimus' link to the data flow is broken.  
OPTIMUS: "What's...going on?"  
CHEETOR: "We're leaving! Let's go!" Optimus puts an arm around Cheetor's neck, and he helps him escape the fortress.  
Blackarachnia rides on Silverbolt's back, Nightscream carries Rattrap in his claws with Botanica grabbing his neck, and Cheetor uses his helicopter trick with Optimus on board. They manage to escape in time. Megatron returns to his data flow.  
MEGATRON: "What?! No!" The floating fortress explodes.  
CHEETOR: "So that's it, the end of Megatron."  
OPTIMUS: "Don't...be too sure. It is Megatron we're talking about. I don't think he would be the type to go through with a plan that could end up risking his life."  
CHEETOR: "Good point. So what now?"  
OPTIMUS: "Well, we did stop Megatron from obtaining the Key to Vector Sigma, but there are still the sparks to be found. Now that the chamber's been destroyed, they could be anywhere on the planet. We have to locate them before the Vehicons."  
CHEETOR: "So let's do it! Huh?"  
OPTIMUS: "What is it?"  
RATTRAP: "Behind ya, Big Ape." Optimus turns to see four sparks hovering before him.  
OPTIMUS: "You...you're the sparks that helped me to stop Megatron." They wave in compliance.  
SILVERBOLT: "You mean to tell us that these sparks came from the Matrix?"  
OPTIMUS: "I don't understand it myself, but if these sparks are going to be here, they need host bodies."  
RATTRAP: "And my little DNA scanner and replicator should just do the trick."  
OPTIMUS: "Let's go." The Maximals head back to base, with their celestial friends following right behind.  
  
***  
  
The Vehicon generals arrive in a desolate area of Cybertropolis.  
OBSIDIAN: "This should be the place."  
STRYKA: "We were to meet here."  
THRUST: "Are you sure? This don't look right." Suddenly, computers in the area activate, and a data stream erupts. Megatron's image grafts through. "Guess this is the right place."  
MEGATRON: "I cannot believe it! Primal followed me into the Matrix, and managed to destroy my plans for the key as well as destroy my base! He and all of his Maximals must pay!"  
OBSIDIAN: "And pay they shall, my lord."  
MEGATRON: "Yes, but not now. Thanks to Optimus' meddling, the sparks of this planet have escaped my grasp. The download sequencer went haywire, no doubt due to that rodent trying to patch in. We must locate the sparks, and recapture them, before the Maximals can get their hands on them. Optimus...I will win this war, for it is my destiny!" 


End file.
